What Your Business Misses by Not Having a Website

There’s a bakery right around the corner from our home. It’s been there for ages; it’s a family-owned business that’s been open for generations. They make great stuff, so it’s always busy, but last weekend there was a line outside their doors. Intrigued, I stood in line and ask the owners ─an elderly couple─ how they got that many people to stand in line on a Saturday afternoon: “my sons put something on the phone,” he said with a smile.

It turns out that their sons had decided to launch a website for their family business, one that’s been open for decades, one with a loyal clientele. They went ahead and created profiles on social media, uploaded pictures of their products and that caught the eye of a different type of clientele, one that maybe lived two blocks away but take their bus somewhere else, so they never walk by that street. I was glad when I checked their website: it was true to the business: classic and homey, but current and appealing. That’s not an easy task!

Well-established business, especially those that already are city-famous, might be tempted to stay offline for the very same reasons the bakery on my block decided to go online: they have a steady income, clients are loyal, the place has a reputation that was built without any of today’s flashy tricks. The business is already on the map, so to speak. Creating a website for your business will put it in a larger map, a global one, that would attract those who get hungry in an unfamiliar neighborhood, people on a quest to try all bakeries in town or rushed parents looking for a place to pick up something for dinner: those casual clients may visit your business, like it and keep coming back. Isn’t that great?

The same could be said for quite the opposite scenario: a brand-new business or non-profit organization, just getting off the ground, could get a lot of attention, donations or clients from an attractive, well-designed website. Networking is often expedited this way, as donors or philanthropists might conduct some online research prior to setting up meetings with NGOs. Same with new businesses: most customers do some research before they even check out the stores just to be sure the business complies with what they need (vegan desserts, cruelty free make-up, you name it).

NGOs are not the only kind of organization that can benefit from online networking: so can small businesses or those that are family-owned. The local Chamber of Commerce might always be on the lookout for some new endeavors in town and can get in touch with you after finding your website online: you could then get in touch with local business initiatives, new vendors, lines of credit, you name it!

So, to keep it simple, these are three things your business or organization misses by not having a website: